Emma Redlinger was 14 when she was struck in the head by a .22 caliber rifle inside a Vinton, Iowa home on February 24, 2015. The rifle discharged while another teenager was handling it. She was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City in critical condition and died on February 28, 2015. Adults were present in the home that evening, and the community held vigils and fundraisers for her family.

The Vinton Police Department initially described the shooting as accidental. Charges were later filed against six people connected to the incident. The teenager who admitted holding the rifle, William Hines Jr., was 16 at the time; he later told authorities he could not recall whether his finger was on the trigger. In March 2017 Hines, then 19, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other counts and received a suspended 360-day jail term for the manslaughter count plus 60 days in jail for the other convictions.

Did anyone in Vinton know Emma or have information about that night that hasn’t been shared publicly?